Grigor Narekatsi is a Brilliant Example of Universal Love, Says Pope Francis

Pope Francis, during the traditional general audience held on April 26 at St. Peter's Square in Vatican City, specifically addressed the medieval Christian theologian, mystical poet, and philosopher Grigor Narekatsi, calling him a translator of universal solidarity. This information has been published on the official news website of the Vatican, as well as on the Facebook page of the Armenian Embassy to the Holy See.

The Holy Father emphasized that what amazes most about the saint is his 'universal solidarity'—his identification with all people and his decision to dedicate his life to praying for them. Speaking about the collection of prayers in the 'Book of Lamentations', Pope Francis stated that 'Saint Grigor Narekatsi was an Armenian monk who left us a book of prayers that embodies the faith of the Armenian people, the first nation to embrace Christianity...'

'Grigor Narekatsi is a brilliant example of universal love that all Christians are called to embody,' his Holiness remarked. He also noted that the Armenian monk lived his entire life in the Monastery of Narek, where he 'learned to carefully examine the depths of the human soul and, by merging prayer and poetry, marked the pinnacle of both Armenian literature and spiritual heritage.'

The Pope's words about the Armenian saint are reflected in almost forty languages on 'Vatican News', including Western Armenian, English, French, Portuguese, and Russian. More information can be found at the following links: link, link, link, link, link, link.

As is known, on April 12, 2015, during a liturgy commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, the Pope declared the Armenian medieval clergyman and theologian a Doctor of the Universal Church. Furthermore, on February 2, 2021, by decree from Pope Francis, February 27 was included in the Roman calendar as a day of remembrance for Saint Grigor Narekatsi, the Armenian Embassy reported.